FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The recent Luzon brownouts affected over 700,000 households in two days and resulted in more than P116 million in economic losses, the head of the Senate energy panel said in a hearing on power supply shortages Thursday.
“Those rotational brownouts affected close to 705,000 customers in two days, this is just only in the Meralco franchise,” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.
“We understand that various electric cooperatives also experienced rotational brownouts in their own respective jurisdiction so this does not take into account customers affected within the jurisdiction of the electric cooperatives,” he noted.
Table presented by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian during the Senate energy committee hearing on Thursday, June 10, 2021.
Gatchalian also said he estimated at least over P116.8 million in economic losses during the two-day power outages.
“This only takes into account the Meralco franchise. We’re not even talking about the economic losses experienced by the electric coops,” he added.
Table presented by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian during the Senate energy committee hearing on Thursday, June 10, 2021.
Gatchalian said the recent power interruptions added to the challenges the country is facing amid efforts to recover the economy from the hit it took due to the pandemic.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (Senate PRIB file photo)
“The government is trying to reopen the economy as possible, that’s why when these rotational brownouts hit the country, the first person who I saw on TV pleading with the Department of Energy (DOE) to restore power is the secretary of trade and industry, Sec. [Ramon] Lopez because he’s very concerned with the reopening of our economy,” Gatchalian added.
Last week, Luzon experienced rotational power interruptions due to thinning energy supply.
The DOE, during a House hearing last Friday, said the “red alert” status of the Luzon grid may persist until this week but rotational brownouts may no longer be experienced by mid-June.